 Lake
Manyara, the loveliest Park
By: Elisha Mayallah
Continuing our series of the Northern Tourist Circuit Tanzania National Parks,
this week we revisit the highlights of the most peaceful, tucked away Park in
the band of forests - Lake Manyara.
This Park, long-known for its tree-climbing lions, is nearly 330 square
kilometres . It contains a large variety of habitats: the rift wall, the
groundwater forest, acacia woodland, areas of open grassland, the lake shore,
swamp and the lake itself.
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After this thrill of seeing the first
animals in the wild, you start thinking 'where has all other big
wildlife gone. |
First view as you approach this Park is spectacular, regardless
of direction. From the east the Rift Valley escarpment looms on the horizon
forming an impressive backdrop to the lake. And from the west and pause at the
top of the escarpment, the Park lies in a green strip below, the lake glistening
in the sunlight.
Like most Rift Valley lakes, Lake Manyara water is alkaline [the same applies to
Momella lakes in the Arusha National Park] This attracts vast flocks of
flamingos, which form pink foam against a silver background of water. There are
many waterbirds in the area, including pelicans that waddle around next to short
grasses on the shore of the lake.
Stretching for 50km along the base of the rusty-gold 600-metre high Rift Valley
escarpment, Lake Manyara is a scenic gem, first made famous by Ernest Hemingway
in his hunting odyssey, The Green Hills of Africa, as "the loveliest I had seen
in Africa".
Few families of baboons provide a good sighting as you enter the Park as the
road winds through an expanse of lush jungle-like groundwater forest where
hundred-strong baboon troops lounge nonchalantly along the roadside.
After this thrill of seeing the first animals in the wild, you start thinking
'where has all other big wildlife gone, where are the zebras, elephants,
buffaloes, the tree climbing lions, and the list goes on and on.
Deeper in the Park families of elephants can be seen feeding on the leaves of
the trees. The sound of the elephants and the trees that crack as they pull
against them reminds one that you are in the wilderness.
Inland of the floodplain, a narrow belt of acacia woodland is the favoured haunt
of Manyara's legendary tree-climbing lions. These majestic animals find shelter
in the branches of trees from the heat and biting flies. There is a particular
belt, which they frequent along the woodland, south of the Msasa River.
On the southern side of the park, you find the hot springs of Maji Moto. This
word directly translated from Swahili means hot water, and is about 60ºC. Pairs
of klipspringer are often seen silhouetted on the rocks above a field of searing
hot springs that steams and bubbles next to the lakeshore.
In the pools along the lake shore the hippos snorts and wallows whereas in the
tall trees of the groundwater forest monkeys leap from branch to branch, on the
slope of the escarpment elephants stand in the shade of baobab trees.
The park is a bird lover's haven with various local species settling in the
forest and bush. Large buffalo, wildebeest and zebra herds congregate on these
grassy plains, as do giraffes – some so dark in coloration that they appear to
be black from a distance.
The Park derives its name from the Maasai word 'manyara' which is a plant known
as Euphorbia tiraculli. This plant is used by the Maasai as a hedge to form a
stockade for their cattle. Eventually manyara will produce a stockproof hedge
which is more durable than any made of cut thorn branches.
E-mail contact: elisha.mayallah@gmail.com
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